As a long time user of Broken Link Checker (BLC), WP 301 Redirect Pro intrigued me, especially when they advised me it does everything BLC does and a lot more. Unfortunately, while this plugin does a lot, it does not do everything that BLC does. In many ways, it feels like I upgraded from a Toyota Corolla to a Lexus but many of the things that made BLC great are missing that feel like a step backward.

Let’s list the positives. From the start, the redirection rules allow me to replace (for my needs) the Redirection Plugin (one less plugin is always a good thing). The auto-redirection is fantastic and allows me to see where people are landing on my site (or bots) to help fill gaps or be sent to the wrong page.

The 404 log is a game-changer, and I spent time realising that over the years, my website changed, but even google was still trying to go on now 404 pages. However, it helped me add relevant 301 redirects.

The link scanner does give a lot more detail than BLC in that it tells you not just any redirects but also if it’s a nofollow, noopener and various attributes.

That said, what is missing is the ability to change the link directly in the log/scan (or multiple at once) lists, which saves a lot of time. Instead, you must go to each page and change it manually. Additionally no ability to ignore types of pages in the scan EG I don’t like to scan draft posts as they are a work in progress, and things can change at any time (scheduled/published is fine).

There are more things I would love to see, such as ignoring redirects and 404 from specific IP addresses (we have a static IP). Also, to autofill pages/posts as you type instead of copy/pasting the whole URL.

In short, WP 301 redirect Pro feels like a scalpel that allows you to read and review various links in great detail to make informed decisions. However, it lacks global features to make it a powerhouse and a genuine BLC replacement. If you do not have a link checker, this is for you. I am happy to keep using WP 301 Redirect Pro and hope they implement more features over time.